As it strives to implement sound and effective disciplinary systems in its structures, the South African Police Service (SAPS) will soon launch a new National Disciplinary Trial Unit, which will deal decisively with all forms of misconduct, especially serious misconduct, within the police ranks.
The SAPS often comes under criticism for the way some disciplinary issues are being handled due to lack of consistency and the fact that some disciplinary proceedings take way too long. The impact of this is two-fold. Firstly, the image of the SAPS is grossly affected because the confidence of the public in police is eroded. Secondly, if police officers are suspended with pay, this raises the question of unnecessary or wasteful financial implications.
Moves for the establishment of this unit are already at an advanced stage, so much so that the national head office has already begun recruitment for the members who will man the new trial unit.
As a start the new national trial unit will be capacitated by people whose integrity is beyond reproach, have been vetted and are not facing any criminal or disciplinary proceedings. The incoming recruits for the new unit will be sourced from the ranks of a lieutenant to the colonel, and they must have some experience in investigations, have a background in human resources, labour relation or law, coupled with labour law as one of the subjects. This will be rolled out as a pilot project for a year, to see if it is effective or not.
This new approach to handling disciplinary issues within the police is informed by the desire to manage discipline in a sustainable and consistent manner. It was primarily with these considerations in mind that the National Commissioner of the police, General Riah Phiyega, approved the formation of this unit. The disciplinary approach and the people staffing the unit are in line with the police’s strategic plan for 2014-2019, whose primary aim is to modernize issues of dealing with disciplinary cases in the SAPS.
In line with the concept document of the new trial unit, all disciplinary sanctions with the SAPS will be standardised, meaning that the sanctions for identical transgressions will carry the same level of punishment. It will also reduce risks associated with handling serious crimes as the new members of the unit will not deal with serious misconduct from within the provinces they are residing in.
"We are confident that this unit will firstly serve to speedily finalise departmental cases and secondly serve as huge deterrent to any potential wrongdoers within our ranks," said the National Commissioner, General Riah Phiyega.
Enquiries:
Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo
Cell: 082 567 4153
